Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Day 72: El Bolson

El Bolson. The bowl. I ventured two hours north of Bariloche to the hippie town of El Bolson for the weekend. The valley encircled by mountains is known for its large outdoor market and the homemade beers. I am happy to say I took part in both.

The outdoor tienda takes place every Tuesday and Saturday. There are over 300 booths of handmade pants, shirts, bracelets, necklaces, rings, purses, kitchen utensils, mate cups, earrings, paintings, drawings, scarves... empanadas, sandwiches, beer, waffles, raspberries, strawberries... too many goods to count. In a half moon surrounding a beautiful park, with a lake in the middle of it, these shops were enough fun for over half of the afternoon. Not to mention, the sky beamed blue.

I stayed in a hostel. El Pueblito.For those who are not familiar with a hostel, a hostel is (sadly) a fab that has not caught on the ole EEUU. A hostel is a place where traditionally large rooms are occupied with rows of bunks. People have a locker and a bed, along with a community bathroom, kitchen and living space including plenty of free community fun.

Plus they are cheap. Though, remember to bring your ear plugs because there is always someone snoring.El Pueblito nestled itself along the river and amongst the mountains 10 minutes out of town.Five hammocks hung around the back side of the house, along with an outside bar and picnic table.

I could not have imaged a more tranquil place for a weekend getaway. Not only were the facilities nice (I got a hot shower both days! ha!), but I met some amazing people who all have this problem with keeping their feet on the ground and their minds out of the clouds... :-)

BUT! The BEST part... I mean the BEST part: the stars.Their twinkling light put me into a different world.Before I even arrived in Bariloche, people asked me if I was excited about my trip. I always replied with a yes, and besides school and the culture, I was excited about the stars.

I lost myself for over two hours that Saturday night in the stars.The giant charcoal lit sky put on a show of the Milky Way and all of its gases, and so many constellations, I could not even begin to name them or find them, for that matter of fact.

Stars put my life into perspective. There is so much out there to live and explore.It also blows my mind that no matter where I am, the stars remain constant and the people that I love will be looking up at the same sky.

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Back home in Bariloche, I am day two into advanced classes.Alone. I passed my avanzado exam this past week. It truly is a moment of accomplishment.Something even more exciting-- two weeks ago, the idea of having class alone scared me.Now, I am confident and very happy with having class sola. I am with a professor that I feel comfortable with.I can successfully talk to for four hours. :-) BIG smile. BIG BIG smile.

Success.

I have 20 days left in Bariloche. WOWOWOW! Time is going.This weekend, I am going to Chile for Mt. Tronador.It is the last big thing I want to do before I head back home. Chugging right along with my Molly, we continue our grand adventures in Patagonia.